Using HTPC to stream, would my older Sony dav-fx900w via SPDIF have better audio than the onboard Realtek audio to receiver by 3.5mm Dual RCA output?

[Coyle]

Realtek has control center software that enables the surround system settings to digital output, but wondering, given the age of my Sony Dream System is its audio superior to that of the HTPC's onboard Realtek audio which would connect to receiver by 3.5 line out to dual rca?

 

[Ken g6]

I'm not an audiophile, but I can't think of any situation where S/PDIF digital wouldn't be better than 3.5mm analog out. Especially with only two analog channels going to a 5.1 surround system.

If the Realtek was sending digital audio from an unusual 3.5mm port it might be a different story, but that's very unlikely. If you plug analog headphones in and hear audio, it's analog.

 

[sdifox]

Sending bitstream to your receiver is better because it can then decode and playback with the corrected balance between channels.

 

[mindless1]

Realtek has control center software that enables the surround system settings to digital output, but wondering, given the age of my Sony Dream System is its audio superior to that of the HTPC's onboard Realtek audio which would connect to receiver by 3.5 line out to dual rca?

Elaborate on exactly what "to digital output" means.

Your onboard audio could have a digital output and that would be bit perfect, no reason to expect the SDS to do better for same # of channels supported, and it would be possible to mux both analog and digital to send them out over same 3.5 audio jack, but I don't recall any mobos that do this instead of a separate digital out... but frankly I never looked for any.

Instead you wrote about 3.5 to dual RCA which seems like an analog connection which is technically inferior, though whether you actually hear the difference is another topic.